August 9

Kidero writes to IEBC for Homa Bay gubernatorial poll documents

Sunday, August 28th, 2022 13:03 | By
Former Homa Bay governor aspirant Evans Kidero
Former Homa Bay governor aspirant Evans Kidero. PHOTO/Habil Onyango

Former Homa Bay governor aspirant Evans Kidero has written to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) requesting to be handed a number of voting materials which were used during the last general election in the Homa Bay governor race.

This is in a quest to challenge the election of Homa Bay governor Gladys Wanga in the courts of law after he disputed the results which were announced by the IEBC County returning Officer Fredrick Apopa.

Kidero who vied as an independent candidate lost to ODM's Gladys Wanga who was sworn in alongside her deputy Oyugi Magwanga on Thursday, August 25.

Wanga was declared as the duly elected Homa Bay Governor by Apopa after garnering 244,559 votes against Kidero's 152,184.

In a letter, Kidero has given the electoral body seven days from the date of notice or face legal action.

Through Okweh Ochiando and company advocates, the former Nairobi governor requested the commission to supply them with a handful of election materials including an audited log of all KIEMS kits transmitted from polling stations to the tallying centres.

He has asked the commission to provide him with the static IP address of each KIEMS kit used during the Homa Bay gubernatorial election, copies of the manual register used during the poll and poll diaries used on August 9.

He also wants the commission to avail the specific GPRS location of each KIEMS kit and all the SD cards which were used during the elections as well as the count of the number of voters identified alphanumerically and the number of votes identified manually.

He also wants all manual registers used and poll diaries with respect to all the polling stations within the County.

"Kindly take note that we expect to receive the said documents in any event within seven days from the date hereof to enable our client to actualize and realize his constitutional right in accordance with Articles 36,38,81 and 87(2) of the constitution of Kenya," the letter reads in part.

"In the event, we do not receive the said documents and/or within the time prescribed above, we shall take further legal action as shall deem fit and appropriate."

 The letter has also been copied to Homa Bay county returning officer Fredrick Apopa.

According to Kidero, he was expecting a count of around 225,000 votes according to his agents.

The results were announced despite Kidero’s absence at the Tom Mboya University College, the county's main tallying centre.

Speaking at his home in Asumbi a day after the declaration of the results in the Rangwe constituency, Kidero alleged that there were many electoral malpractices and anomalies which were committed during the whole elections process.

He alleged incidences of voter bribery, voter intimidation, mishandling of our agents and those of other independent candidates by presiding officers and an organized gang among other issues took place.

“It is unbelievable that armed gangs could access polling stations to flash out our agents, beat them up in the full glare of security officers and leave at their own pleasure without any action from security enforcers,” he said.

Adding;

“Elections are generally meant to give the people an opportunity to democratically choose their leaders to exercise authority on their behalf for a period of time as enshrined in the constitution. I am particularly disappointed to see the will of the people of Homa Bay being thwarted with impunity yet again."

Kidero said Wanga’s administration will be illegitimate and will not be accepted by the people of Homa Bay.

“Homa Bay has been in ICU for the last 10 years and another five years of poor leadership will kill this great country,” Kidero lamented.

“We have a duty and mission to remove our county from the autopilot situation and we shall not waste time.”

“I will be the people’s governor in Homa Bay and will always be at hand to serve you all the time,” he told his supporters.

Wanga and Magwanga, have however extended an olive branch to his worthy competitors in the last elections to join hands in building and developing Homa Bay county going forward.

Magwanga said that in any competition however tight it may be, there must be only one winner and thanked the people of Homa Bay who had faith, and confidence by voting for their joint candidature.

"In any contest, however stiff, there can only be one winner. The people of this county have expressed faith and confidence in our joint candidature and I want to call upon our people to join hands so that we can move the county forward as a team," Magwanga noted.

"On behalf of Governor Wanga, I wish to extend an olive branch to our worthy competitors, please let us join hands ad work together in pursuit of progress for the great people of Homa Bay," the DG added.

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